On this day in…
1806
217 years ago
The Great National Pike, also known as the Cumberland Road, became the first highway funded by the national treasury Read more…
1876
147 years ago
Mary Litogot Ford (36), mother of Henry Ford, died in Dearborn, Michigan, US Read more…
1901
122 years ago
Wilhelm Werner won the 9 Read more…
1910
113 years ago
C N Teetor as granted a patent for his “Oil-Regulating Piston Rings”, leading to his founding of the Perfect Circle Company Read more…
1919
104 years ago
The first Tatra vehicle, a TL4 truck, was completed Read more…
1922
101 years ago
The Ford-owned Lincoln Motor Company was reorganised as a Michigan-based corporation Read more…
1927
96 years ago
Major Henry O’Neil de Hane Segrave became the first man to break the 200 mph barrier Read more…
1931
92 years ago
The Tunis Grand Prix, held on famous Carthage motor circuit, a triangular and combined urban layout, an express of about 13 km (located between the city of Tunis and Carthage), was won by Achille Varzi in Bugatti T51L Read more…
1939
84 years ago
Mercury offered ‘spring colours’ as an option for all of its automobiles Read more…
1940
83 years ago
John T Read more…
1948
75 years ago
The modern era of Formula 1 began with the Grand Prix de Pau (France), which was won by Nello Pagani in a Maserati 4CL Read more…
1951
72 years ago
Stirling Moss won the Lavant Cup for Voiturette cars at Goodwood, England Read more…
1954
69 years ago
Packard introduced the Clipper Special Sedan and Club Sedan as mid-year, lower-priced additions to its Clipper line Read more…
1959
64 years ago
Junior Johnson started 22nd in a 24-car field and roared to victory in a 200-lap main event at Wilson (North Carolina, US) Speedway’s half-mile dirt track Read more…
1970
53 years ago
(29th/30th): The Spring Nationals were held at the Santa Pod Raceway in Northamptonshire, UK Read more…
1971
52 years ago
The Jaguar E-type Series III was launched Read more…
1977
46 years ago
The Cortland, New York factory of Brockway Motor Trucks Division of Mack Trucks Inc, was shut down by the parent organisation Read more…
1981
42 years ago
The Argentine driver Carlos Reutemann won the Brazilian Grand Prix in contentious circumstances; he ignored his pit signals to give up the lead to his teammate and team leader Alan Jones Read more…
1981
42 years ago
David Prophet (43), British racing driver, who participated in two Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, died Read more…
1983
40 years ago
The £18 million 6-mile (9 Read more…
1985
38 years ago
Production of the Sinclair C5, a small one-person battery electric vehicle, technically an “electrically assisted pedal cycle”, was suspended due to financial difficulties Read more…
1987
36 years ago
A bus plunged off a cliff in Shaanxi Province, China, killing 19 and injuring 28 Read more…
1992
31 years ago
Bill Elliott breezed to his fourth consecutive NASCAR Winston Cup triumph with a big win in Darlington’s TranSouth 500, South Carolina (US) Read more…
1995
28 years ago
The Rover 400 was officially launched, and was met with a sense of muted antipathy from the press Read more…
1995
28 years ago
Production of modular engines began at the new Ford Windsor (Ontario) Engine Plant Read more…
1998
25 years ago
Mika Hakkinen completed his third straight victory and McLaren secured its third straight 1-2 finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix Read more…
2000
23 years ago
74 people died in a collision between two buses in Kerichko, Kenya Read more…
2003
20 years ago
A rented Ford Econoline 3-350 crashed on I-15 in southern California and 5 women enroute to a retreat were killed Read more…
2003
20 years ago
A road train 1,235 m (4,052.8 ft) long, consisting of 87 trailers and a single prime mover was assembled near Mungindi, New South Wales, Australia, at the Mighty Mungindi Truck and Trailer Pull. Read more…
2006
17 years ago
A businessman from County Tyrone paid £80,000 for the car number plate, “BIG I” Read more…
2009
14 years ago
The season-opening Australia Grand Prix marked Brawn GP’s debut and it proved a remarkable one Read more…
2009
14 years ago
At the request of the Obama administration Rick Wagoner, the chairman and chief executive of troubled General Motors (GM), resigned Read more…
